Nigeria on life support before Tinubu’s election, says Akpabio

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said President Bola Tinubu is working hard to fix Nigeria’s economy.

Akpabio, who stated this, yesterday, at Ikot Ekpene during his constituency briefing/empowerment programme, said the country’s economy was in bad state when the President came to power in May 2023.

He said Tinubu was determined to fix the economy and touch the lives of Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic, religious or party affiliations.

“President Tinubu met a very bad condition on ground, nobody envied him,” he said.

He noted that Tinubu was determined to change the situation, and urged Nigerians to encourage him to change the situation.

“We believe that at the end of the day, we will move the country forward. He did it in Lagos before; he will do it again in Nigeria; just give him time; he will take us to our El Dorado.

“I want us to know that Nigeria was on life support when the people voted Tinubu to become the president.

“One day, I asked him, ‘Mr President, after becoming the President and seeing the level of economy that Emefiele left behind, are you excited?’ He said, ‘well, I’m determined to change the situation’,” Akpabio said.

Akpabio also stated that the President had touched many lives through continuous constituency projects nationwide, adding that the regional commissions recently established by the Federal Government were aimed at developing the regions and empowering people.

According to Akpabio, the President has shown so much love to the South-East by giving a key ministry – ministry of works – to them and signing the Southeast Development Commission bill into law.

“South-East has lots of ecological problems; it has very poor roads, just like the South-South and Mr President decided to give us the ministry of works in addition to other key ministries, even the petroleum and gas ministry,” he said.

Akpabio used the occasion to distribute bags of rice, cars, generating sets, deep freezers, tractors, tricycle vans, mini-buses, motorcycles, sewing machines and make-up kits, among others.

He said the gesture was supported by the President to thank the people for their votes and supports.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akpabio commended Governor Umo Eno for his peaceful disposition and for extending hands of friendship by sending 1,000 bags of rice to the All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in the state.